Plants Around Devils Tower Gallery
arrow left 16 trans 1 of length pictures arrow right 16 trans
Bur Oaks are mixed with Ponderosa Pines on the hills surrounding Devils Tower. Bur Oaks are fire resistant trees of midwestern prairie savannas. Ponderosa Pines are their equivalent in the Montane zone of the Rockies.
Bur Oak trunk with brightly colored lichen.
A Harebell blooming alongside the Tower Trail. The trail had many of these dainty flowers of the Montane zone. They catch every breeze and are hard to photograph.
The theory of fire ecology.
The practice of fire ecology. The burned dead trees may appear unsightly but grasses, flowers, and other plants on the forest floor receive more light and flourish. The remaining trees will will receive more water and light making them larger, healthier, and better able to withstand future fires.
A blooming rose.
Pine Drops. This plant is a root parasite and produces no chlorophyll. It is always associated with a certain type of fungi which is in turn associated with pine trees. The three organisms work together to stay alive.